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Monday, November 19, 2012

Saponification Sunday Monday...Black is Back

First of all a great big THANK YOU to all who granted my request of posting your faces on your blogs. I loved seeing all of you! Now, onto suds.

Once again, tardy with the Sunday Soap blog. My excuses this time in no particular order

1. Family visiting from out of state all weekend.
2. Family visiting from out of state all weekend.
3. Family visiting from out of state all weekend.

Since it was my only excuse I thought I should list it a few times. What's really sad is my company was hardly here all day Saturday and they left Sunday at 10am. But no body needs to know that OK?

I did however MAKE soap this past week in preparation for Christmas orders as well as a Fund Raiser for another farm. I was in a black mood.

Black as in charcoal. But I struggle with the concentration formula. Too little and I get a muddy grey. Too much and it smears when I cut it. Of course THAT might have something to do with the ax I use to cut my soaps. Might be time to get a real soap cutter. I've got my eye on this one for any of you unsure of what to gift me with this Christmas. (hello ? husband? are you out there?)

Back to black. I like to mix about 1 teaspoon of powdered charcoal in 1/4 cup of my premixed, pre-measured soap oils. I'll use that to color about 1 pound of soap. It can color your suds gray but the color rinses off your skin easily. I have made pure black soaps, or black with white squares but I really love doing the white, black, pink white layered soap.

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To get the fun design above I'll plunge a small whisk into the soap several times just after pouring. You will need to work fast though as charcoal definitely speeds up trace. The fun is always in the unmolding and cutting (did I mention I could use a professional soap cutter for Christmas? I can't remember. I've had my eye on this one.)

You never know how the layers will evolve but when you are playing with black soap you are guaranteed drama. You are also often guaranteed a mess. I tend to come away with black powder on my face, my hands and across my bosom.

Don't ask.

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The swirls on top are easy. Just pour while exercising with a Hoola Hoop. Works every time. Of course your floors, cat and cabinet doors get "Decorated" as well. I'd probably do a better job if I wasn't so distracted thinking about a soap cutter I'd like to get. I've had my eye on this one:

Charcoal is reported to have qualities good for the health of your skin in the areas of detoxification. Reports are made that it lessons acne, helps retain moisture, removes dead skin cells through slight exfoliation, eases the itching and pain of insect bites to name a few.

Since I am not a scientist and have no research team I can not make such specific claims but I will stand by the facts I know: that is it messy and fun.

I hope Father Christmas, Pere Noel and Santa Claus are all listening -- an axe can be so dangerous and besides 'you're worth it'! Lovely, beautiful, dramatic soap. Hilarious post for a grey and miserable rainy day here in the UK...

Love your posts. Always get a giggle - or five! I didn't even KNOW such loaf cutters existed! Now I want one, too. I'll have to save up for a while. Looked at the one Deborah wrote about, too. Not sure which I prefer...

On the other hand, you don't want to start discussing details about your personal life on your business blog. The whole professional vs. personal ratio also has to be calculated with your topic and target audience in mind. Anything that wouldn't be appropriate to say to a client in person or in an email shouldn't be included on a business blog.